Saturday, August 16, 2014

10 Movies That Broke Taboos

by Dr. Suzana E. Flores

The word “taboo” comes from the Tongan tapu or Fijian tabu. The term was translated as meaning “forbidden, cursed, or unclean.” The word has been expanded to relate to any area of human activity or custom that is forbidden based on societal norms, moral judgment and religious beliefs.

Film has long challenged societal taboos, pushing the envelope and disrupting what society deems proper and acceptable. Over time, however, the shock of the new is no longer shocking and taboos become commonplace. Here are 10 films that broke cinematic taboos:

1. Women in Love – First Male Full Frontal Nudity

Women in Love (1969), adapted from D.H. Lawrence’s novel of the same name, is considered by many to be the Holy Grail of male nudity in cinema. Full-frontal shots and explicit homoeroticism are featured during a naked wrestling match between Oliver Reed and Alan Bates.

2. Peeping Tom – First Naked Woman

In the mid 1930s, documentaries about indigenous peoples depicting naked women slowly found their way into the U.K. and the U.S., but Michael Powell’s Peeping Tom (1960) depicted nudity in larger cinema when Pamela Green’s character exposing a breast before she is killed. Powell was the first English-language director to try this and his career was nearly ended by the controversy surrounding this film.

3. Bonnie and Clyde – First Blood Soaked Shooting

The ending of Bonnie and Clyde (1967) is considered by many to be one of the first bloodiest and gruesome death scenes in cinema. At the time, the film was controversial due to its graphic violence and glorification of murder.

Bonnie and Clyde depicted someone getting shot in the face and at the end, the movie shows Bonnie and Clyde shot multiple times with bullets, leaving their clothes shredded from the violent encounter.

4. Psycho – First Toilet Flush

Before Psycho in 1960, toilets were missing from mainstream American cinema. Hitchcock wanted to show a toilet in a couple of his films but censors wouldn't allow it. He finally got his way in Psycho where the first ever flushing of a toilet appeared in a Hollywood film.

This film is taboo breaking not only because of the brutal murder and Marian’s crime, but because Hitchcock showed what is usually censored. Additional taboo breaking scenes includes killer Norman Bates cross-dressing as his mother and the naked Marian being stabbed to death in a shower.

5. Gimme Shelter – First Real Death

Many films have death scenes; however, in The Rolling Stones concert at The Altamont Raceway, this death was real. Meredith Hunter was stabbed to death by the Hells Angels, who were providing security for the concert.

In Gimme Shelter, a member of Hells Angels is seen stabbing Hunter several times in the back. Reasons for the stabbing are mixed. Some say Meredith Hunter’s death was fueled by racial hated because Hunter, a black man, came to the concert with a white woman and was the subject of racial hated by the Hells Angels. Others accounts say Hunter’s death was self-defense when Hunter attempted to storm the stage clutching a revolver.

6. Ecstasy - First Sex Scene in a Non-Pornographic Film

Ecstacy (1933) contains two taboo breaking scenes: In the first, Hedy Lamarr swims naked in a lake. In the second, she has sex, in what is believed to be the first depiction of female orgasm in a non-pornographic film.

7. Doctor X – First Use of Cannibalism as a Plot Device

Cannibalism is one of society’s darkest taboos. From The Texas Chainsaw Massacre to Silence of the Lambs, the eating of human flesh is a unique genre in horror films.

Doctor X (1933) is the first film to use cannibalism as a plot device. In the film, reporter Lee Taylor investigates a series of murders involving cannibalism.

8. Fireworks – First Openly Gay Character

Homosexuality was depicted in Hollywood and European films from the 1920s to the 1940s, but was only suggested or implied, and never meant for mainstream cinema. That is until Fireworks (1947) a movie about a closeted young gay man.

9. The Crying Game – First Transgender, Race, Sexuality and Identity Combo

The Crying Game (1992) is a psychological thriller exploring themes of race, gender, nationality, and sexuality.

The main character, Fergus (Stephen Rea), as a member of the IRA. His brief but meaningful encounter with Jody (Forest Whitaker) leads him to an unexpected romantic relationship with Jody's girlfriend, Dil (Jaye Davidson) who is a transexual woman.

The way The Crying Game handles complex themes of identity, sexuality and human nature makes it one of my favorite films of the 90s.

10. A Clockwork Orange – First Pairing of Comedy and “Ultraviolence”

Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971) depicted the “ultra-violence” in Anthony Burgess’ book by the same name. This film is considered one of the most controversial films, but was nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award. The unorthodox artistic and graphic nature of the film was both praised and debated for its violence and drab outlook on the future. This film was also one of the first to pair comedy with “ultra-violence” - including two rape scenes.

Hi everybody. I recently saw a testimony about chief dr lucky in a blog I visit for relationship and dating counseling problems because i had been having serious issues with my boyfriend and we had been dating for six months, he just suddenly changed, he wasn't returning my calls,he started cheating,he was hurting me in many ways i never thought possible and I just thought I should try it*maybe out of desperation of some sort*..and I contacted chief dr lucky ..At first everything felt dreamy and unbelievable, his consultations and solution was a little bit easy and strange and I was scared a little cause I heard read and heard lots of stories to of fake spell casters,scams and i never really believed in magic..I played along with a little hope and and faith and I sent some few stuffs after everything and it worked like a miracle,everything went to a while new direction,it was and is amazing...I guess it was all good faith that made me read That particular post that faithful day..I hope he could help other people too like he did me...I did a little and I got everything I wanted and wished for*my husband,my family and my life back. E-mail: Cheifdrlucky@gmail.com or contact him on whats App him +2348132777335 Website :http://chiefdrluckysolutionhome.website2.me/